1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to closures for containers, and more particularly, to re-closable closures that include a tamper-evident band.
2. Description of Related Art
Containers that store perishable goods, such as food products, often include resealable closures so that after the container is first opened, any remaining product can be resealed inside the container to provide a protective barrier against the ingress of oxygen, moisture, contaminants, and other undesirable matter. In addition, closures may include tamper-evident devices to indicate to a consumer whether the closure has been removed or whether the quality of the product inside the container has been otherwise compromised. U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,706 to DeVore et al., discloses such a tamper-evident band.
An alternative tamper-evident band is disclosed in the Ploc Off closure system available from Brasilata S.A. Embalagens Metalicas of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The closure of the Ploc Off closure system includes a central portion that has a plug portion that is inserted into an opening of the container to initially seal the container. A tamper-evident band is connected to an outer periphery of the central portion and is connected to the container so that the tamper-evident band must be at least partially removed from the central portion before a consumer can access the product. Because the closure of the Ploc Off system consists of a polymer material that is believed to be incapable of attaining high-barrier performance against oxygen and/or moisture, the stored product may be inadequately protected from oxygen and/or moisture over an extended period of time. Therefore, a need exists for a tamper-evident closure that provides oxygen and moisture barrier properties prior to the first time the product within the container is accessed.
In addition, the closure of the Ploc Off system further defines a generally planar top surface along the central portion and the tamper-evident band upon which another container may be stacked. However, the stacked containers having the Ploc Off system may inadvertently experience lateral forces that would cause the stacked containers to move laterally relative to the supporting container, thus resulting in the stacked container falling. Therefore, a need also exists for a tamper-evident closure that facilitates stacking of two or more containers to prevent relative lateral movement of the stacked containers.